Rhys Hoskins, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins homered and the Milwaukee Brewers held on for an 8-7 win over the host Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
The Brewers earned a split in the two-game series. Three games were originally scheduled, but Wednesday’s middle game was rained out and postponed till August.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ hit home runs for the Cubs, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Crow-Armstrong became the first player in franchise history to reach 20 homers and 20 steals before the All-Star Break.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (7-4) allowed three runs and two hits in five innings, walking two and striking out six. Trevor Megill pitched the ninth for his 16th save.
Cubs starter Jameson Taillon (7-4) gave up five runs on eight hits in four innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
Chicago trailed 8-3 through six innings but pulled to within one run. First, Happ’s two-run blast in the seventh sliced Milwaukee’s advantage in half. His eighth home run, which went over the center field wall, came on a 2-1 sinker from reliever Aaron Ashby.
The Cubs drew within 8-7 on Carson Kelly’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice grounder and Nico Hoerner’s infield single in the eighth, but Megill coaxed a game-ending double play in the ninth.
Collins’ three-run homer in the fifth, into the left field stands, off reliever Genesis Cabrera with two outs increased the Brewers’ lead to 8-3. Collins’ fourth home run came on a 1-1 curve.
Swanson’s two-out solo shot in the fourth pulled Chicago to within 5-3. He drove a 3-1 fastball over the left field fence an estimated 406 feet for his 14th home run.
William Contreras’ run-scoring single in the third increased the Milwaukee’s lead to 5-2.
The Brewers scored three runs on two homers in the top of the second. Hoskins led off with his 11th home run down the left field line that tied the game at 2. Durbin’s two-run blast, into the left-center-field stands with one out, made it 4-2. It was Durbin’s third homer.
Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer in the bottom of the first put the Cubs up 2-1. He drilled Peralta’s 1-2 fastball into the right field stands.
Christian Yelich’s RBI single gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the first.
